Serie A club Fiorentina presented its case before an
arbitration board Thursday in a bid to cancel its points penalty
from Italy's match-fixing scandal.
``We are aiming to wipe out the 19-point penalty . . . and not
simply reduce it,'' Fiorentina lawyer Alberto Bruni told Italian
news agency ANSA.
Fiorentina, which is in last place in Serie A, was docked the
points by a sports tribunal in July for its role in the scandal.
Juventus was stripped of its last two Serie A titles, demoted to
Serie B and penalized 17 points.
Lazio and AC Milan, which were also involved, escaped relegation
but were docked points in Serie A _ 11 for Lazio and eight for
Milan.
Juventus, Lazio and AC Milan had their hearings Wednesday.
Fiorentina owner Diego Della Valle, who was banned for three
years and nine months, was not present at Thursday's hearing.
Verdicts are expected at the end of the month.
The independent arbitration board, which was created by the
Italian Olympic Committee, is the highest level of justice in
Italian sports.
© The Canadian Press, 2007
